I started getting them a lot two years ago. There was one time where I couldn't remember anyone's name. Flashy lights and numbness. It makes you think that you have a brain tumor or something.

I figured it was either stress or diet pop. So I learned to relax more and stopped drinking diet pop (and gained 20 lbs, crap). Thankfully, I haven't had a migrane in about 6 months. I also stretch my neck a lot to get rid of the kinks and tension. Its working good for me so far.

As far a drugs go, over the counter stuff is useless. I've used both the Imitrex pills and shot since I have insurance. Nothing works better than the shot. It sucks sticking that stat dose in my leg though.

No I am not a doctor, and having an argument over this is pointless, believe me though the only way for me to make you understand is for you to get the full blown, blindness, numbness, puking, 2 day orgy of pain that is not effected by Excedrin or Advil or anything else to know what I am talking about.

The type of migraine I am talking about is almost an epileptic seizure and I hope you never get one.

So I noticed no response to my suggestion. I assume then you've tried to be fragrance free and it did no good? It's pretty easy to test. Go to the super market and stand in the detergent row and breathe. Then try on some free perfume samples...

"Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is basically a subset of Environmental Illness (EI), which is caused by living in a toxic world. The chemicals that were synthesized after World War II (including, pesticides, synthetic fragrances, cleaning products, detergents, etc.) are mostly "petro-chemicals" (petroleum based) and are quite toxic to humans. There have been virtually no studies done on the majority of these chemicals to see how they affect humans - the industry just placed the chemicals in the environment with the assumption that they are "safe, till proven toxic", instead of the other way around. One of the biggest offenders is PERFUME and other scented products. Did you know that many of the ingredients in your perfume are the exact same ingredients found in GASOLINE?"

"
Until the 20th century, perfumes were made from natural ingredients derived directly from plants and animals, and as fragrances became cheaper and more widespread, they also became more synthetic.

The National Academy of Sciences reports that 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances today are synthetic compounds derived from petroleum, including known toxins capable of causing cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions."

"Excessive afferent stimulation (flashing lights, noise, strong perfumes) or hypothalamic changes resulting from emotion, stress or the operation of some internal clock may set in motion brainstem mechanisms, including spontaneous unilateral or bilateral discharge of pain pathways. Studies in the experimental animal have shown that certain monoaminergic brainstem nuclei can influence the cerebral circulation unilaterally and that they and the trigeminal system can induce a reflex dilatation of the external carotid circulation. Descending pathways from the same brainstem nuclei cause the adrenal gland to secrete noradrenaline, which in turn can release serotonin from blood platelets. Free serotonin may become adsorbed to the arterial wall, thus increasing sensitivity to pain, augmenting afferent input and adding a pulsating quality to migrainous pain. Both neural and vascular components of migraine implicate monoamines, specifically noradrenaline and serotonin, as neurotransmitters and humoral agents. The recent pharmacological classification of serotonin (5HT) receptors indicates that agonists of a subset of the 5HT1 receptor and antagonists of 5HT2 receptors are most likely to be helpful in the treatment of migraine."

Last edited by patfromlogan; 3/26/2007 9:55am at .

"Preparing mentally, the most important thing is, if you aren't doing it for the love of it, then don't do it." - Benny Urquidez

I hate migraines. I seem to get 'em from physical stress (e.g. dehydration, skipping meals, sleep dep). Soon as those dark visual cues come about, I take 800mg ibuprofen. Heh. Worst part is the lingering headache/soreness 1-3 days afterward...

Actually, according to my wife who works in a pharmacy, 'Excedrin Migraine' actually is just a name that marketing came up with. Check out the ingredients, exactly the same.

Excedrin will work for some types of migraines. That is the main point in my statement. I was alluding to the fact that putting 'Migraine' in front of Excedrin is not a mistruth, whether the ingredients are the same or not.

And I do get the 'blindness, numbness, puking, 2 day orgy of pain' kind. Excedrin doesn't really help those all that much. Same headache though, just different intensity.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance says 'Cognitive dissonance is a psychological term which describes the uncomfortable tension (I would call migraines an uncomfortable tension) that comes from holding two conflicting thoughts at the same time. '

Since I have made more of an effort to avoid conflicting cognitions and enforce self mental integrity, I have less migraines.